Knight Foundation Grant People Choice Awards
Voting is via TEXT to 305-767-2200.
Last day to vote is October 22, 2012
KnightArts.org/peopleschoice

It’s all about VOTING! Not just in the Presidential elections, but also to support the arts in South Florida.

The decision to choose which organization gets a $20,000 check from the Knight Foundation is now in the hands of the people! The Knight Foundation has chosen five excellent south Florida arts organizations to compete in a public vote for a big grant. You know that Soul Of Miami is totally non-partisan, but we do encourage you to vote!

These organizations have been selected for an opportunity to win this money, un-restricted money to be used in ways they need and the Knight Foundation is moving the decision-making process out of their hands and into ours.

The organizations are:
1) 6th Street Dance Studio, a nonprofit dance studio in Little Havana
2) Arts Garage, a cultural hug in Palm Beach
3) FUNDarte, county wide presentor of multi-cultural exhibits and performances
4) LAB Miami, Wynwood, a co-working space at the intersection of art and business
5) Urgent, Inc. of North Dade, working in part with the arts to revitalize urban communities

Now in its fifth year, the Knight Arts Challenge is a community-wide contest for the best ideas for the arts. Sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the challenge has invested $17 million in projects that help bring South Florida together through culture.

This year, as a way of bringing more attention to smaller groups, Knight Foundation is asking the public to vote by text for their favorite of the five. The group that receives the most votes will get $20,000 in unrestricted funds to use for a project.

Each People’s Choice nominee is a finalist in the 2012 Knight Arts Challenge and is still eligible for a challenge grant. Winners of both the challenge and the People’s Choice Award will be announced Dec. 3.

“So much of the exciting art in South Florida is at the ground level. We want to make sure everybody knows about these groups and the work they are doing to engage people through the arts,” said Dennis Scholl, Knight Foundation’s vice president/ arts.

“The five People’s Choice nominees bring credence to the idea that Miami is a place where ideas are built. Our collective creativity is limitless,” said Matt Haggman, Miami program director for Knight Foundation.

Text your vote to 305-767-2200 by October 22, 2012

Text 1 for 6th Street Dance Studio

Text 2 for Arts Garage

Text 3 for FUNDarte

Text 4 for LAB Miami

Text 5 for Urgent, Inc.